Maple Leafs fans will get another glimpse at the future tomorrow night in Buffalo as Joe Colborne has been called up from the AHL Marlies to replace injured Mikhail Grabovski.
Colborne, the big 22-year-old center acquired from Boston in last year’s Tomas Kaberle trade, has already played nine games with the Leafs this season, scoring once and adding three assists.
A 16th overall pick in 2008, Colborne is seen by the Leafs as a future top-six center in the NHL. Toronto already has four centers -- Grabovski, Tyler Bozak, Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi -- under contract for 2012-13. So if Colborne becomes a full-timer NHLer next season -- and it’s probably time for that to happen -- GM Brian Burke might have to make a move.
Colborne has 16 goals and 21 assists in 60 games with the Marlies.